"Hi, welcome to my website and blog! I am a writer and architect of books, a writing guide and speaker."

My 9-11 story began on the 405 Freeway. My greatest obsession for several months leading up to the big event was that damn SoCal freeway. Everything paled in comparison to the dreaded commute between Newport Beach and Anaheim. What if I went into labor during traffic hour?

God was merciful, my husband protective, and the baby content to stay put for a few hours after my water broke, so I was able to stall labor until traffic reports gave the “all clear.” Making great time, we sped north toward Kaiser hospital. It was then that I turned to the baby’s father at the wheel and said, “This child needs a name.”

Meeting Leon Hayduchok in person is a rare treat. I recently had the privilege of spending an afternoon with the author and our mutual friend, Bryan Baker, founder of Ministry Logistics, to chat about books, publishing and life.

Dying to Control: The 21st Century Dilemma is a quick but thoughtful read—the culmination of years of study and living life with no holds barred. This provocative and true look at culture brings fresh perspective on the Adam and Eve story and teaches us about our own controlling attempts toward ambition.

Hayduchok’s theology is rock solid, his personality electrifying, and his story compelling. I am fascinated by the way his first generation Ukrainian-American experience shapes and impacts his faith and understanding of God. I am left wanting more.

I’m a book architect, so of course, I would like to see some structural changes. Among other things, I look forward to reading the missing final chapter. Still, nuggets of truth and great prose are found throughout. One of my favorites being:

“As I watched the foundation of my Christian faith detonate, I marveled at the glorious display. For the first time I was seeing God in color” (ix).

You won’t want to miss this debut work of Leon Hayduchok. I’m not alone when I say that I’m anxious to see more.

“What could I have accomplished if I hadn’t lost all that time to suffering from mental, emotional, physical pain and trauma after I was raped… mugged… or served in the war?”

While sitting with friends listening to painful questions like these, I offer comfort by being with them, praying with them, and waiting. I listen while they scream in rage and sob until in small glimpses of light God speaks truth into their agonizing questions and they begin to heal.

I wait together with those who are courageous enough to engage with their past while keeping a death grip on their present. I hold on and believe with those who stake a claim in a future filled with hope.

I am witness to damaged, fearful identities being gently, invisibly restored to their original shape—that of God’s beloved ones.

I believe in healing because I’ve been there and have watched it happen. Yet, I still have few words. I can’t explain what is taking place or why exactly.

But I can point you in the direction of one who will speak right into your heart about suffering PTSD and what comes after that…and after that: Teresa Pasquale.

Teresa Pasquale is bold enough to tell her story truthfully and with balance…through the eyes of an expert on PTSD, therapist, and spiritual pilgrim.

Wherever you are in your journey, especially if it is alongside a loved one suffering from the after effects of trauma, Teresa Pasquale in Mending Broken provides the companionship and resources you need. This is a book to read, talk about, and pass on.

What do leaders and creatives have in common?

A message to communicate…and without direct access to their soul, both leader and writer will languish.

People are persuaded to act or think differently after a personal connect, and yet here in the West, we continue to pummel the work place, market place, school, and church with more facts and information—cerebral speak—every day.

What engages your audience in a powerful way?

You. Not illustrations and statistics or wisdom from the sages. Your story is what stays with people. Your passion and your posture—where you go, what you do and how you go about it—both on and off the page.

In the early hours following the death or our friend and pastor, Sam Summers Journey Church, this reality is vivid for us as we see his beautiful legacy made visible in the hundreds of comments and photos of a quiet man who spent his life playing with little children, enjoying the outdoors, hugging his wife and family, baptizing and teaching.

Communicators who are being heard, repeated and followed are intimately and truthfully in touch:

with themselves

with God

with their people

Because being “with” is the story.

Being “with” is costly.A shared life is messy; it’s risky and time consuming. Being “with” requires trust and forgiveness. And it is a story worth telling.

We want to hear your take on this:

What is your message made of?

What phrases of yours do your family and community most often repeat?

If a bronze sculpture were erected in your memory what would its posture be?

By the way, Bob Goff, author of Love Does, is one of the most profound communicators of this very topic.